St. Louis, MO - September 18, 2022 – What came first, the story or the storyteller? Can you really have one without the other?

I sometimes wonder who told the first story. I picture it in a cave around a fire. I probably have it wrong. Storytelling likely predates mankind’s discovery of fire. And maybe even our common sense to seek shelter in a cave. Storytelling was probably pre-cave dwelling.

I’m not sure we will ever really know.

If you have read any of my previous posts or watched any of my videos, you will likely guess my answer. Heck since you are on the STORYSMART website it will hardly be a surprise to you that I believe the storyteller comes first.

There is your answer. The storyteller came first.

How is that possible?

A story has to be told to be a story. Otherwise, it remains a memory or an imagination. Seriously. Think about.

What was Hamlet before William Shakespeare wrote it?

Nothing. Hamlet wasn’t a story until he told it. It became a story when he wrote the play.

Today’s breaking news story isn’t a story until a reporter reports it.

Sure, it is an event or set of circumstances that give rise to some assignment editor sending a reporter to cover it. No doubt the people involved might have shared some account with someone else thus telling the story of what happened, but what happened is NOT the story. It is only what happened. To be a story of any kind – breaking news or otherwise – it must be told by one human to at least one other human.

Or maybe one human to a volleyball like Tom Hanks character in Cast Away.

The story only exists when someone shares an account. That is why the storyteller comes first. A story comes into existence when it is first told. It all comes down to telling. Storytelling.

So what came first, the video story or the video storyteller?

The video storyteller.

It really doesn’t matter if the video storyteller followed our proprietary STORYSMART brand journalism approach to creating the story or followed a script written by someone else or some other approach.

It doesn’t become a video story until someone – or group of people – produce it.

The storyteller comes first.

The quality of that story turns on the skills and craft of the storyteller. A good storyteller can bring story to life and make the audience feel something. A poor storyteller could be assigned a story to tell that has so much potential but drive an audience away with a poor approach to storytelling.

I’ve seen it with reporters I’ve worked with over the years. A good reporter can take a bland story and make it fun and interesting. A bad reporter could be given a fun and interesting assignment and make it bland.

It cuts both ways. Good & bad.

It is why we are so discerning about who we work with at STORYSMART. We only want the best storytellers in the business.

We are partial to highly experienced TV reporters and established documentary filmmakers. We are looking for talented video storytellers who have been around the block more than a few times. The more seasoned the video storyteller the better from my vantage point.

When it comes time to tell your story, I would encourage you to find the right storyteller. It matters more than you might realize. Find your storyteller first, then watch your story come to life. If we can help you tell your story, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You deserve to have your story told in an amazing way so you will always be remembered.

About STORYSMART

If you want to be remembered, share an amazing story on screen. Whether developing a brand for your business or preserving a family legacy, nothing is more powerful than a great video story.

While there are a lot of DIY apps out there to help you produce a video, no app will turn you into a great filmmaker. Telling your story well with video can be hard. You need the right skills and equipment, not to mention time, money and talent to do justice to your story.

STORYSMART helps you tell your story in the amazing way you deserve with our done-for-you premium video storytelling service. Using a nationwide network of talent, STORYSMART provides you an experienced television reporter or journalist filmmaker to tell your story professionally following our proprietary STORYSMART system.

STORYSMART provides a nationwide premium video storytelling service that empowers individuals, families, celebrities, small businesses, and other organizations to have their stories told professionally while still retaining their intellectual property rights. Learn more at getstorysmart.com